Overview:
Through the readings and the lectures this week, we have discussed the nature of service-learning and the gains that can often be associated with community involvement. We have also discussed the meaning of community and the importance of becoming active in its betterment. While it is valuable to look at our communities and assess the problems that need to be addressed and the opportunities to aid in solving those issues, it is important to start by assessing our own strengths and weaknesses to identify opportunities to better ourselves.
This week's assignment is all about you. Unlike the other assignments in this course, your work in this assignment will be a private conversation (of sorts) between you and your instructor. Be as honest as you can in your assessment so you can use this information to make the most of your education as you move forward in this class and through your future learning experiences.
What is a SWOT analysis?
If you are a business student, chances are, you've been asked to create a SWOT analysis on a company or organization in one or more of your previous courses. For other students, this may be a new experience. In either case, you should find this a useful tool.
A SWOT analysis is a tool for evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (or SWOT) associated with something-usually a company, organization, or project, but can be applied to analyze an idea, an argument, or, as we are doing in this assignment, a person.
We separate the ideas of strengths and weaknesses as internal factors (personal strengths and weaknesses), from the ideas of opportunities and threats as external factors (outside opportunities and threats to learning). These factors are usually presented in a chart with bullet-points followed by a brief narrative about each factor.
The first step in completing a SWOT analysis is to identify the specific areas being analyzed. For the purposes of this assignment, you are asked to analyze the skills you acquired throughout your general education so far. The categories we will analyze are defined as:
1. Communication skills;
2. Critical thinking skills;
3. Respect for diversity;
4. Professional, social, and ethical responsibility; and
5. Lifelong learning practices
Assignment Criteria:
Complete a personal SWOT analysis evaluating your understanding and skills in the five following categories:
1. Communication skills;
2. Critical thinking skills;
3. Respect for diversity;
4. Professional, social, and ethical responsibility; and
5. Lifelong learning practices
Your assignment should include:
A SWOT graph with bullet-points defining your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as they relate to the five university learning objectives.
A brief narrative describing each defined trait.
There is no page-length requirement for this assignment, however; you should make every effort to provide a complete and accurate personal analysis. Pay close attention to detail, including grammar, usage, design, and depth. You may want to take the time to create several drafts before submitting the final version of this assignment.